


Foes of Yesterday

by Anonymous



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Confusing Feelings on Both Sides, Forced Marriage, M/M, Season 3, final quest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-26 16:17:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19009342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Jughead Jones get's a new quest, a final quest, to end the nuisance of the gameGryphons and Gargoylesin his and his family's life.





	Foes of Yesterday

Jughead took this because he was told it would be his last quest. It  _ has  _ to be the last quest before he sees the Gargoyle King. He doesn’t think he can handle juggling both this stupid game and his mother’s drug ring anymore. It’s starting to make him physically weak. Hell, he could barely get up this morning to eat. If that wasn’t a sign of sure emotional turmoil, what was?

“Hello?” Jughead called through the abandoned Serpent’s Den. They supposedly left it a long time ago, while his Father was king. It put him on edge, especially since it was on the South Side of town, and the ever-looming threat of the left-over Goonies returning to twist him into knots was imminent. _“Hello…?_ Let’s hurry it up please, I’m suppose to be meeting the Game Master?”

He sighed tightly, “Y’know… the one who refuses to actually see me?”

“Oh, I see you, Hellcaster.”

Jug’ whipped around, trying to figure out where the voice came from, “Oh, well… please, take your time. I’ll just stand here, like an idiot.”

“Must be easy.” The Game Master jeered.

Jughead faked a laugh, glaring to the side and hurrying forward to search through the papers on a table. Nothing special… little-to-no hints about what to do. He dug back into his pocket, checking his Quest Card to see if there were any hidden messages.

_ Find the Game Master; head their command to complete the  _ _ceremony_

“Alright,” He threw the card on the table, “I’m here. I found you. What’s the command?”

“Are you ready to start your quest?”

Jughead scoffed, “I’ve been ready.”

Footsteps clicked from beside him and Jughead turned to face it without hesitation. When he saw Kurtz, he instantly felt the urge to tear off his limbs. He opted to sneer instead.

“You’re the Game Master?” He asked, “Oh, great. What do you want me to do? Kill someone? Because that’s out of the question.”

“No, not kill someone. Though, you might wish it to be so.” Kurtz waved his hand, “Did you bring what you’ve gathered?”

“The weird wood rings?” Jughead frowned, then reached to dig them out from his jean pocket, “Yeah. Uh… Archie got paint on them.”

Actually,  _ he  _ got paint on them, but who needs to know? He tried to wash them off the moment it happened. He doesn’t regret it, anyway. Jellybean and he were finger painting together and it happened accidentally.

“I hope you don’t mind the aesthetic.” He joked lightly, holding the rings out.

“Keep one.” Kurtz plucked one ring out, holding it in his palm protectively like it was the most important thing in the world to him, “You’re going to need it later.”

“To make a necklace out of?” Jug’ asked, squinting at him suspiciously before eyeing the ring he still had in his hand. The paint on it reminded him a bit of his serpent jacket; green, red, and black. It had a few specks of yellow, but other than that, it was cool. “Cute.”

“If that’s what you choose to do when this is over, so be it.” Kurtz rolled his eyes, sulking his way closer to Jughead than he thought was necessary, “But for now, just keep it close. What we’re doing is in the basement.”

“... Is this your last quest too?” Jughead asked, his fingertips buzzing to do  _ something.  _ Maybe he just really didn’t like how Kurtz’s smug face smiled at him, glee with power. 

“No.” Kurtz’s voice was peppy. Well, as peppy as a sleazy, grummy, cartoonish villain could get. “And don’t worry, if you get  _ bored  _ of your convenient life… it won’t be your last either.”

“Trust me, my  _ convenient life  _ is exciting enough.” Jughead glared, “You would know.”

“I stopped dealing for your mom a while back,” Kurtz tilted his head, glancing back and forth between his eyes, “She didn’t tell you?”

_ No, she didn’t…  _ Jughead tried to hide his shock, but clearly it didn’t do the trick because Kurtz laughed quietly and started walking away, into a blackened hallway.

“Come, Hellcaster.”

He followed Kurtz down the hall, into a staircase that had so much dust he sneezed, and into a dimly-lit room with pictures of a crudely-drawn Gargoyle King all around them. In the middle of the room was a podium. It was slanted one way, so he couldn’t see if there were any papers on it. 

As far as he could see, there were no weapons. There  _ was  _ a few jars around them, though, so maybe this was another task of chance. 

“What is this?” He asked, “Do I need to flip a coin?”

“No.” Kurtz glanced back at him and then walked in front of the podium. He stood straight, which startled Jughead just a little bit because when he wasn’t slouching in his hand-me-down black jacket, he looked taller and more threatening. Maybe it was the feral look his messy hair gave him. “Step forward, Hellcaster.”

He did so.

“Hellcaster,” Kurtz tipped his head, “I am the Prince of the kingdom of  Eldevair, and you, are the chosen to ascend.”

Jughead tensed. Ascend. From what he’s seen, that means death. Or, at least, to come close to death. He’s not sure he’s prepared for that, what about his friends? What about the Serpents?

“I can see your mind running,” Kurtz leaned on the podium, “and as amusing as that may be, you can relax. This is a different form of ascension.” 

“There’s different ways?” Jughead asked, “Like what?”

“If a King and Queen were to only produce a princess, how would they obtain a King in their stead?”

Jughead shifted a bit, now very confused and yet, somewhat intrigued. “Through marriage. Of royal blood, of course.”

“And the King of the Serpents is considered, by the laws of the Gargoyle King, to be worthy enough.” Kurtz tilted his head, “Following?”

“Sort of.” Jughead glanced around the room, “Betty and I aren’t dating anymore, though, so there’s a flaw in your plan…”

“The Gryphon Queen is not who you are to be marrying, Jughead.” Kurtz looked like this entire experience was taking all of his energy, “She is already a queen.”

Jughead made a noise in the back of his throat, “To be honest, I’m avoiding what I think you’re going to ask me.” He offered a faux smile and tucked the ring back into his pocket.

Kurtz spat the words out, “Finish the quest, and it’s over. All of it. For you and your family. Refuse, and the King will not be pleased, Hellcaster.”

“Tell the King to fuck himself.” 

“If you finish the quest you’ll get the chance to do it yourself.”

Jughead clicked his tongue and shifted his jaw. He took another sweep around the room, then looked back to Kurtz. “There’s nobody to witness, so it isn’t lawfully binding.”

“By mundane circumstances, no, it’s not.” Kurtz walked out from behind the podium, “But by all in the kingdom, it’ll be considered… say, set in stone.”

“You’re  _ really  _ enjoying this, huh?” Jughead asked.

Kurtz self-satisfied smile came back, “I enjoy that you haven’t left yet. You’re considering it.”

He almost decked Kurtz then and there just to be done with it. Honestly, this was the lamest possible outcome to the quest. Getting fake-married? This was ridiculous. 

“Why would the King want this?” He asked.

“Because,” Kurtz pressed a boney finger into his chest, “He knows you better than you think. And our King is a merciful one, he isn’t a monster.”

“Tell that to the children that died playing this game.” Jug’ bit out.

Kurtz exhaled through his nose with a smirk and held out his ring. “Well?”

“What, am I suppose to ask?” Jughead glared and begrudgingly dug out his ring.

“You don’t think it’s an honor to marry a Prince?”

“Consider it an honor that I haven’t knocked your teeth out.”

Kurtz rolled his eyes, “Hellcaster, King of the Serpents, Jughead Jones… Do you take my hand? Do you hold the responsibility of Eldevair with this marriage?”

_ I hate how professional he sounds,  _ Jughead thought. It made this moment so much more confusing and uncomfortable.  _ Very  _ uncomfortable. He decided to just suck it up though, because maybe they could use this marriage as an opportunity to catch the Gargoyle King for real this time. He is suppose to meet him next…

“I do…” He said finally, ignoring the smug glint on Kurtz eyes.

“Then with this ring,” The Prince roughly pulled Jughead’s hand closer to him. It was awkward and clearly unpracticed, but he ended up fitting the ring on him. “You are mine.”

_ Great, I don’t even get the cool ring.  _ Jughead groaned internally. The ring Kurtz gave him was yellow with flecks of black and red. Pretty ugly to look at. He internally cursed Jellybean for her choice of color palettes.

Kurtz was staring at him now, and he realized it was his turn.

“And… with this ring…” He took his hand, sliding the ring on with a little more grace than Kurtz had done for him, “Uh, same.”

He  _ really  _ doesn’t want to say it.

“C’mon, Hellcaster, finish the ceremony.” Kurtz hissed under his breath.

“You are mine.” Jughead bit out. Fine, there it’s finished.

“That’s not what I meant.”

Well, now he’s stumped. He glanced around the room, searching for maybe a hint of what he meant to do or say. Nope, nothing.

“Jones, you are not this dim.” Kurtz grumbled.

He looked back at him and frowned before he realized, oh yeah, this is a marriage ceremony. 

“Dude, I’m not kissing you.”

“Then you fail the quest.” The Prince glared at him now, “Jug, just do it. I need to pass this quest too.”

Oh. He never considered that Kurtz needed this just as much as he did. And this wasn’t even his last quest… what else could the King have in store for him?

Jughead decided to have one mercy on Kurtz, leaning in slightly just to press their lips together as lightly and painlessly as possible. Nobody said it needed to be a makeout session. He figured that chaste kiss would be enough for him, but his newly-made husband seemed to think different and finish filling in what little gap Jughead left. 

It was uncoordinated, by all means. Jughead was reluctant to add any real vigor to it, and Kurtz seemed too eager to bite at his bottom lip than really  _ kiss.  _

The moment Jug’s lip started to bleed was when he pulled back and touched it with his fingers,  _ “Dude.” _

Kurtz stared at him, a bit of blood smeared on his mouth. He grinned, which,  _ creepy.  _

“Consider yourself a consort, Hellcaster.”

“We’re married.” Jughead reminded, “You can just call me Jug.”

"And tomorrow..." Kurtz continued as if he never spoke, "We will both meet the King, to consummate this marriage."

Jughead made a noise of disgust in the back of his throat, and when Kurtz glared at him he quickly rectified it with a _"Hurray."_


End file.
